99 Red Balloons
by KyosBeads13
Summary: 99 unrelated drabbles and oneshots. HughesXMustang fluff with the theme of "red" in each fic. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** _Hello there, Kyosbeads13 here! This is actually my first attempt at a collection of fics so let's see how it goes. Rating will probably never exceed T, if it does (which I doubt) there will be warnings. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy. Feedback is much appreciated._

**DISCLAIMER FOR WHOLE FIC: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters or anything related to the series. (Nor do I own that song 99 Red Balloons, it won't be used but just to be safe.)**

**99 Red Balloons**

**Chapter 1**

It was a calm evening despite the sharp bite of the cold winds that blew through the town. A sleek black car made its way up and over tall hills and sharp turns as the two inside made idle conversation. Well, it was more like one made the conversation and the other merely nodded and mumbled one word answers.

"Come on, Roy. Lighten up!" The louder of the two said smacking the other on the shoulder earning a glare. "We're both going home for the night, it's not a time to be somber!"

"Hughes, you could be at a funeral and still think it wasn't a time to be somber." The Colonel sighed placing his right arm against the car door and leaning his jaw down on his fist. He steered with his free hand and kept up his look of utter boredom. Hughes took the hint and sighed, kicking his feet up on the dashboard.

"Remind me not to get rides with you anymore. I'd have more fun talking with people on the street." Suddenly, the car jerked to a halt as Mustang pointed at his friend's door.

"Then get out." After a few moments, the car started back up.

"You wouldn't be like this if you got yourself a wife, Roy." Hughes rubbed the back of his head while placing his feet back on the floor.

"You've told me before."

"I'm serious!"

"So am I." Roy attempted to end the conversation but his so called "best friend" wasn't about to leave it off at that.

"If you had a girlfriend you'd be able to take all that negative energy and transfer it into love for her. I think we could all benefit from it." The car stopped in front of the large apartment building as Mustang threw it into park.

"I'm not interested in finding a woman at the moment." The younger man commented, carefully forming his sentence into an articulate stream of words. Maes cocked and eye brow and laughed.

"You've made that perfectly clear to me, Roy." The flame alchemist felt fire rise in his cheeks before turning to make a smart remark only to catch Hughes' lips on his in a light kiss. The Lieutenant Colonel drew back and pulled the handle of the car; placing his feet on the sidewalk outside. "See you tomorrow."

"Y-yeah." The car door slammed as Mustang watched Maes walk into the front of the building, closing the door slowly behind him. Shaking his head for a minute, Roy put his car back into drive and flipped on his head lights, the last rays of the red sky falling behind the rapid ink spill of the night-time backdrop.


	2. Awkward Little Dance

**A/N: **_Pretty good response to the first chapter and hopefully the positive feedback will continue! Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed!_

_A Friend In Words,_

_--KB_

**Awkward Little Dance.**

A late night at Central was about the last thing that the young Colonel could stand let alone being hidden behind a stack of very complicated paper work. He sighed a bit and put his pen down, tapping his fingers on the wooden desk top in bored beats. The building was deafeningly silent except for the occasional boot heel clacking down the tiled hallway which only drove Mustang further away from his work.

Exhaling rather loudly, he kicked his booted feet onto his desk and leaned his chair back while crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes closed lazily as he listened to the blank nothingness that echoed until he listened a bit closer, distant singing catching his attention.

Hughes never was one to keep quiet even when working. For his birthday a few years back, Roy had invested in getting him a record player to keep him occupied and (most importantly) out of his office. For the most part, the gift's intention had been rather successful, however now he had to put up with Hughes' constant singing.

Groaning a bit, Mustang put his feet down as he heard the approaching melodic voice along with the heavy footsteps that could only belong to his best friend. The door swung open and Hughes' bright and smiling face lit up the room. The wooden record player was tucked awkwardly under his arm as he walked further into the office, kicking the door closed behind him.

"Hughes, I'm busy." The flame alchemist complained.

"I know, so I figured I'd come and lighten the mood a bit!" Setting the object down on his desk, the Lieutenant Colonel turned the crank of the record player and placed the needle delicately on the vinyl disk, the quiet office springing to life with the sound of a big band playing. "It's a new song. They call it the Red Waltz." He informed the other while dancing awkwardly around his office merely to get a laugh. Mustang watched him move about, bemused by his actions. After a few moments, the older man danced over to where the Colonel sat and held out his right hand strongly. "May I have this dance?" Roy laughed.

"You can't be serious." His friend's hand remained in its place showing him that he was all but kidding. Slowly, Roy lifted his hand to Hughes', which yanked him up and out of the chair and into his grip. An arm secured around the younger man's waist as Mustang's free hand found its way to the other's shoulder.

Now, Roy didn't know the first thing about ballroom dancing and wasn't quite sure as to when Hughes had become such a master as he was whipped around the room by him. He just hung on and tried his best to follow the leads given to him.

"For never having done this before you're not all that bad." The older man smiled sweetly at the other. Mustang felt his nose and cheeks get hot in a deep blush while giving no response. The two finished their little awkward dance to the Red Waltz and stood still entwined in each others' arms. "Gracia is never in the mood to dance anymore, I'm glad you are."

Roy felt his heart skip.

"M-Maes…" He mumbled before being silenced by his friend's lips on his. He was shocked for a moment before calming himself and melting back against Hughes in a more comfortable fashion and sooner than he could process what he was doing, their lips were parted. Letting go of his hand only momentarily to fix his glasses, Maes smiled. "Can we dance again?" Mustang asked in a quiet voice.

"Anything for you, Roy." The two kept dancing in silence; no music was needed. The only waltz the two needed was the sound of their hearts beating in sync.


	3. What Matters Most

**A/N: **_Well, this story is getting hits which makes me very happy. Reviews are a little scarce, however, but I'm sure they'll come with due time. I wrote this kind of as a response to episode 30 of Brotherhood that came out this week about the Ishbal war. And with that, enjoy chapter 3!_

_A Friend in Words,_

_--KB_

**What Matters Most.**

Scribbling of a pencil broke the stifling silence that filled the small dark room. The only thing that kept the room from being plunged into darkness was the small desk lamp that hovered only mere inches above the determined alchemist who mumbled a few words and broken equations under his breath. He was surrounded by an innumerous amount of books and loose papers along with eraser shavings and crumpled papers. An on looker watched with concern as the other performed this task well into the night, the star speckled sky outside the single window very noticeable. Suddenly, the scribbling stopped and a frustrated groan rang out.

"Damn it, it just doesn't make sense!" He said slamming his tired fist into the desk.

"Roy, it's late and you're tired. Just give up for tonight." Hughes said quietly while removing his glasses to rub the dirt off of them with a cloth. He completed his task before he pushed the glasses back on his nose and crossed his arms. No response was given from the man at the desk other than a head shake followed by a frustrated sentence.

"I can't… I'm so close to uncovering how human transmutation can be achieved, I can't stop now." Mustang said in aggravation as he reached for the almost empty bottle of red wine that sat slightly to the left of him. Hughes could have sworn it was full just hours before hand. Downing the rest of the bottle in one swig, the tired Colonel turned back to his paper. The older man shook his head before walking the short distance to pull the pencil out of the other's hand gently.

"There's no use in working so hard just for a taboo that you can't even commit if you did figure out how to do it."

"I have to do something!" Roy said in more of a drunken slur than a coherent sentence while snatching his pencil back. The Lieutenant Colonel understood why he was so adamant on discovering this and in some ways could not blame the younger man for why he needed to. Roy was trying to ease his guilt. It was the only way he could cope with what had happened and the only way that he could feel as if he was making it better. Ishbal had taken more than just lives with its seven years of fighting; it had taken Roy Mustang's innocence along with it as well.

"Roy, it's not your fault." Maes said soothingly before taking back the pencil. There was a long pause before the other cradled his head in his hands.

"Hughes, don't." He pleaded.

"You were just following orders, Roy. There was nothing that you could d-"

"I said don't!" He screamed throwing his hands down and looking up to the other's eyes. "I could have said no, I could have left Ishbal with my tail between my legs and prevented countless murders. There was so much I could have done that it's disgusting! I have to bring them back; I have to make up for what I've done! Now give me the damn pencil back!" Hughes shook his head which enraged the drunken alchemist even more. "Hughes, I said hand over the God damned pencil!" He flew out of his chair to try to charge the larger man to no avail. Maes held him off with ease and after a few moments of struggle and worsening curses, Mustang stopped his flailing and settled with clutching the front of Hughes' military uniform, breathing in shakily.

"Why won't you let me help them?" He asked like a scared child.

"There's nothing you can do..." Hughes answered quietly as he felt Roy's fists clench on the front of the material harder. He watched without a word as the tears of his superior slid down his cheeks slowly. Dropping the pencil back on the desk, Maes put his arms securely around Mustang, his cheek on top of his head as silent support.

"But all those screams, Maes! I can still hear all those children screaming; I'm a murderer!" He said painfully.

"Roy, listen to me. You were following military orders. If you hadn't, you would have been attacked by the retaliating Ishbal soldiers. You were fighting for survival… You're not a murderer."

"I am." The fact that even he could not get through to Roy broke his heart silently as Maes pulled the still crying Colonel to sit down with him. Mustang sat on his lap while Hughes held his head and body securely to his chest.

"Although other people may think so, I don't think we're murderers." The older man said drawing circles in the alchemist's hair with his thumb. "And even if everyone else _does _believe that we murdered those people, I know what happened there, Roy. And that's all that matters." With that, Mustang's tear stained face shot up to the other's, gazing long and hard at him with still watering eyes. The Colonel saw the honest expression that graced Hughes' face and buried his face back into hiding.

"We're not murderers." Mustang repeated faintly. Hughes nodded. "…I'm glad." With that, the Lieutenant Colonel felt his smile returning to his face.

"Me too."


	4. Locked In

**A/N: **_Well, with a GREAT response to the last chapter, it is with great pleasure that I bring you the next chapter of this collection. Thank you all so much for all the support of favorites, alerts, and reviews. They really motivate me to write these and thank you again!_

_A Friend in Words,_

_--KB_

**Locked In**

What absolutely PERFECT timing the Central security had. Just _wonderful_. Roy Mustang sighed to himself and moved another chess piece across the confusing board as the constant jibber-jabber in his ear was slowly pushing him closer and closer to madness. He was getting aggravated with the whole world rather quickly.

He would admit, it really wasn't security's fault that they had regular drills of lock-ins ever since a psycho path had decided to roam the corridors of Central with a gun, shooting it periodically as he did so. It also wasn't security's fault that he had left all the paper work that needed to be completed down the hallway with Sheska; completely on accident, he would like to add, and was now going to be in a heap of trouble that it wasn't completed. It was, however, security's fault that Mustang was now locked in a room with the single worst person to be locked in a room with; his best friend, Maes Hughes. And that fact alone was unforgivable.

"Roy, I wish you could have been there. Elisia's little face just lit right up when I told her how proud I was of her. She did an adorable little jump and sai—"

"Hughes. We are stuck in here for only God knows how long. I would really appreciate it if you sat down and shut your mouth for at least five minutes." Roy slammed another chess piece down on the board with a glare. Hughes took the hint and sat down in the chair across from Mustang at the table.

"These drills take hours, why would I just stay quiet when this is the perfect opportunity to fill you in on all the wonderful things that happen in my family?"

"Maybe because you have some sympathy for a fellow human?" He continued to move his chess pieces in a frustrated and huffy manner. Hughes watched the Colonel with an amused expression as he continued his solo game. Mustang took note of him and sat back with a sigh. "What?"

"I just think it's funny that you can sit there for hours and hours and just play that game." Maes placed his foot on his knee and kicked back in his chair, adjusting his glasses so he could still view the board from his awkward angle. "And yet, you still can't beat Lieutenant General Grumman." He winked. Roy shot the man a sharp glare.

"The sooner we get out of here the better." He grumbled. While pushing a white piece forward. Hughes looked at the board with a smug look and pushed a piece forward in response to his friend's previous move.

"Checkmate." His smugness doubled as his arms crossed over his chest. Mustang had his next piece in his hand already and in frustration, slammed it down onto the board. He hissed in pain and withdrew his hand quickly, sticky red liquid dripping down his finger and pooling on the table. The other frowned and got up as the Colonel cursed at the cut. "And that's why you shouldn't throw a hissy fit when you lose, Roy." Hughes took his pointer finger in his hand gently as Mustang continued to curse quietly.

Roy never really noticed how much larger Hughes' hands were than his; they looked like a small china doll's in a father's grip. Carefully, the Lieutenant Colonel placed Mustang's finger in his mouth before pulling it out and thinking for a moment. Roy never kept a first aid kit in his office and the two would have to make due. Hughes ripped off a piece of his under shirt and wrapped it tightly around his superior's injured finger earning a blush as bright as the liquid that now ran into the grain of the wooden table.

"I don't know how you manage to hurt yourself on such innocuous object, but leave it to you." Hughes winked. Mustang was still focused on the tight grip the man sustained on his hand. He was thinking about how much he wanted him to stop it, but still could not bring himself to withdraw his hand from the other's.

A loud knock came at the door before it swung open, Hughes' hand snapping back to his side as he stood back up. The security guard offered a salute and a smile.

"We've completed our lock-in procedure, Sirs." The Lieutenant Colonel thanked the man and watched as he walked out. He turned back to Mustang and smiled his usual idiotic smile.

"Keep working on your game, Roy." Maes said slyly before walking out of the room.

"Whatever." He said staring at the board. The Colonel sighed heavily before getting up and walking out the door to the hallway. He'd work on his game later… For now, the paper work Sheska held in her possession would cost him more than just his ego if he didn't complete it.


	5. Still Cold?

**A/N: **_Such wonderful support from you all, thank you so much for that. This chapter came to me while I was taking some pictures of the snowfall we got about a week ago and I thought it would make a fluffy scene. So, low and behold, here is chapter 5. ALREADY! Well, after this, only 94 more to go, lol. This will be a fun journey…_

_A Friend in Words,_

_--KB_

**Still Cold?**

The skies were clad with a dull shade of gray, heavy and depressing. The weather was as cold as any mid-January day could be with small flakes of white falling from the sky and covering the ground in a thick layer of powder. The weather forecast had called for quite the storm and Central had ordered most of its workers home. Maes Hughes, not having a car, bummed a ride off Roy Mustang in order to get home. Unfortunately, by the time the two attempted to make it back to his house, the snow was piled so high, Mustang could hardly control his car. He gave up and pulled into a parking space in front of his own home, slamming the car door shut and asking Hughes if he would like to spend the night.

"Yes, I'll be home tomorrow if the roads are clear. He doesn't mind. Yes. Okay, tell Elicia that Papa loves her and misses her! Alright, goodnight." The receiver clicked as the tall man walked out of the kitchen with his arms stretched over his head. He smiled at the Colonel who looked idly out the window at the few cars attempting to pass the roads without getting stuck. So far, only three had been successful in doing so. "All set." He threw himself on the couch next to Mustang who had to keep his whiskey from spilling as the ice cubes clinked loudly against the sides of the glass.

"Good."

"Drinking already? The sun isn't even down!" Hughes joked lightly. Mustang shrugged.

"It's been a long day." With that, the conversation died a bit and the room was filled with nothing but clearing of throats and sighs. Suddenly, Maes got up and crossed the room to the door, grabbing his coat. He began to put it on before the other finally gave in. "What're you doing?"

"I want to go out in the back and stand in the snow for a bit, want to come?" He asked pulling out a pair of red gloves to cover his hands. He secured a scarf around his neck and zipped up his jacket. Looking at him with a strange expression, the Colonel stood up without making eye contact.

"Fine." He traveled to his bedroom, no doubt to put on warmer clothes and to change out of his uniform pants. Hughes traveled to the front door and opened it, walking outside. He was surprised when the snow he stepped into went a little past his ankles. Taking big, clumsy steps, he made his way to the side of the house where a gate secured a small patch of land in the back of the house. Most homes in the area were not as fortunate to have a backyard, even a small one like this. Why shouldn't it be taken advantage of?

Hughes opened the gate and stared for a moment at the untouched powder that shimmered in the street lights. He moved forward again, the snow crunching under his boots until he reached the center of the yard and stood, looking up at the sky. A few snowflakes landed on his glasses and melted to small droplets of water, obstructing his view ever so slightly. He heard the gate to his left close, Mustang's frame coming into view in between the small pools of water on his lenses. He had his arms crossed over his chest and didn't look too happy to be out of his warm house.

"Isn't it beautiful, Roy?" Maes said more like a small child would on their first snow day than an adult.

"It's cold." He huffed back. Hughes laughed not only at his expression but at the rosiness of his cheeks.

"I'm the only one who likes snow in my house. Elicia catches sick too easily to go out and play in it and Gracia's more of a spring person and won't go out until she sees green again. I, on the other hand, could stand out here for hours."

"Maybe if it wasn't so cold…" Hughes laughed at his response and took Roy's hand, pulling him into his chest with a soft 'thud.' Arms encircled the smaller man's torso as he looked up in shock at the other. Maes merely smiled and kept watching the snow fall. "...Maes?"

"Are you still cold?" He asked back. Roy shook his head.

"No, are you?" Hughes shook his head similar to the way that Roy had had mere moments ago. Mustang reached up and brushed the accumulated snow from Maes' slicked back hair and looked away. "Let's go back inside." Beginning to feel uncomfortable with the butterflies in his stomach, the Colonel tried to walk forward and out of his friend's arms only to be turned around slowly to face him. Hughes lowered his lips to his own and carefully brushed them over Roy's. Roy felt himself shiver and he was almost positive that it wasn't from the cold of the snow and wind. His mind that was racing with thoughts was suddenly silenced by his heart as he kissed Hughes back with a bit more force; it becoming deeper and more passionate. Mustang threw his arms around the other's neck, Maes' glasses being pushed up to his brow. The two broke away, Roy gasping for breath more than Hughes was. The taller man smiled at him.

"Now you definitely can't tell me you're still cold." Roy pushed Maes backwards, causing him to fall into the snow. Hughes grabbed his arm at the last second and brought the Colonel down on top of him. Roy looked down at him more embarrassed than anything while Maes only continued to smile and fix his glasses that were now fogging slightly with his breaths. "Why don't we go back inside and warm up?" He asked before closing the distance between them again in another kiss.


	6. Clouded Fallacies

**A/N: **_With Christmas being next week, I'm not sure if I'll be able to update next weekend or not so here might be the last for possibly two weeks. Hooray for drabbles! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and if I don't update by New Years, a wonderful 2010! Hits on this story really surprised me, thank you all for reading and remember: The simplest gift to an author is a review! :)_

_A Friend in Words,_

_--KB_

**Clouded Fallacies.**

It was deafeningly quiet. The darkened room casted few shadows on the wall compliments of the thin sliver of moonlight that leaked in through the broken shade. The young man who resided in the room was sitting hunched over on the edge of the bed, his bent elbows resting on his thighs and hands covering his sweat soaked faced. His crimson red colored sheets were in a tangled heap by his ankles, pulled into knots due to his hours of tossing and turning. Because of his inability to sleep, Roy found himself in the position he currently resided in, wishing nothing more than to be asleep and comfortable in bed.

His fingers ran through his smooth hair in a few easy motions before his hands fell back to the mattress. Reaching for the night stand, Mustang grabbed a hold of his pocket watch and opened it, pulling its face into the moon light to read which Roman numeral the hands were pointing to. His heart sank a little when he saw it was three a.m. and he wouldn't have to get up for at least four more hours. Fantastic; four more hours to sit in the dark and listen to his raging thoughts that only served to confuse him more and more.

Before falling asleep, most people think about things that occur throughout their day: Work, school, their family, friends… Loved ones. For Roy, the latter was the thing that had kept him up for countless nights. He thought about all the jokes he received during the day about him and his apparently "obvious" feelings for his second Lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye. He thought about the back slaps he got from co-workers and the blush that Riza had whenever he sent a smile her way.

However, she was not the person whom Roy found himself thinking of every night before bed. The name that would keep him up because of the blasted knot he got in his stomach, he could honestly say, was not hers. The reason for the Colonel's insomnia ran a bit deeper…

Hughes.

Every night, every morning, every afternoon,_ he _was the person that prevented all of his work getting done. And _he_ was the reason that Roy's mind was constantly clouded with the fallacies of a perfect bond with him. That fact alone was enough to drive the alchemist near the edge.

His hands plastered back onto his face in frustration. Why was he feeling like this? Why couldn't he be normal? Sure it was common to hear love stories about two best friends falling in love, but two male best friends? Mustang shook his head and plopped back down on his back and watched the ceiling. The head lights of cars from the street below casted long shadows up the walls and only served to remind him of how quiet it really was. Once the car passed in a 'whoosh' of sound and light it felt even more silent and even more dark than it had moments before the car had passed. He could hear himself breathing, and the lack of noise was driving him even closer to that psychological edge.

Deciding he had endured enough torture, Roy brought himself back up to sitting and grabbed blindly for the night stand again. His hand collided with the phone as he brought it to his ear and held it with his shoulder as he dialed the number he knew all too well. It rang for a few seconds before being picked up.

"Hey… It's me. Yeah, I know it's late, sorry. I was just wondering," He whispered innocently. "Maes, can we talk?"


	7. Garland and Mistletoe

**A/N: **_This was started on Christmas… And well, it pretty much speaks for itself. Happy holidays everyone and have a happy new year! 2010 man! Awesome!_

**Garland and Mistletoe.**

It was late on the night of December 24th and most everyone in Central was asleep, children curled in bed dreaming lightly about the gifts that Santa Claus would leave in their living rooms for when they awoke. Two drunk men walked down the side walk, the smaller of the two swaying more than the other. The taller man held onto the other, pulling him away from walking straight into lamp posts that flickered sickly yellow light on the snow that coated the area.

"I really cannot believe that you out drank Havoc." Hughes slapped Mustang lightly on the shoulder, sending him tipping over slightly.

"I can't believe that you didn't fucking stop me after seven shots." The Colonel slurred angrily while placing a hand to his head.

"Well, I figured you'd be okay to at least get back to my place. You're lucky that Gracia took Elicia to her parents' house for the night. They won't be back until late afternoon tomorrow so that hang over of yours better be gone by then." Hughes received a low grunt from Mustang before they turned to walk up the front stairs of Maes' apartment complex. The stairs were a task in itself with the smaller man half pulling himself up the stairs with the railing and half leaning on the other who was making his way up the stairs with little difficulty. "You hold your liquor like a woman, Roy."

"I swear to God, Hughes…" He snapped as they reached the top of the stairs and Hughes led him to the apartment door. After a quick laugh and a shove, the door was closed behind them and they were both within the heated room of Hughes' apartment. Roy squinted as the lights were flipped on; they shined blindingly on the masses of Christmas decorations that were tacked up all over the house. Garland of red and green hung from the crown molding of the walls and three over-sized stockings littered the area with glitter that fell lazily off the names that were written on them. Maes' and Gracia's were bright red with their names written in perfect cursive on the white fluffy edge of the top. However, his eyes were specifically drawn to Elicia's stocking which was neon pink with a princess crown on it. The color almost made Roy sick.

On the other side of the room, a rather large tree stood with bright white lights, silver tinsel, and a multitude of ornaments. The alchemist's eyes stung even more when he scanned the tree over, positive that no flame that he would ever produce would match the brightness that the Hughes family's home contained around Christmas.

"You like all the decorations? Eli-"

"Elicia helped me hang everything! Isn't she wonderful!?" Roy said in a mocking tone before plopping down on the couch, covering his eyes with one hand. "I'm going to throw up."

"That's the Christmas spirit!" Earning another glare, the Colonel picked himself up and shuffled to the bathroom, the door slamming behind him leaving the other with nothing but an echo. A few of the neatly stacked presents from "Santa" fell out of place from under the tree, forcing Hughes to crouch down and pick them up and re-sculpt them into their perfect form. A few minutes later, Mustang emerged looking even more pale than usual as Hughes looked at him and laughed a bit. "And there goes your Christmas spirit."

Leaning against the door frame, Roy felt the contents of his stomach shift again as he slid down the door frame to sit on the floor. He rested his head against the wall and let out a soft moan which caused Hughes to frown. Moving to the kitchen, he wet a few towels and made his way down the hallway and crouched by the smaller man.

"I guess I really should have stopped you…" He said with a bit of guilt present in his voice. Mustang merely glared, only to shove Hughes out of the way in order to get back to the toilet to expel the remainder of the stinging alcohol from his stomach. After a moment or two, Roy sat holding his sides while breathing heavily and shaking. Maes moved over to him and pressed one of the cool rags to his forehead, wiping the other over his face to remove the cold sweat that he had broken out in. A hand clasped over Hughes' as tired eyes finally lifted to meet his. He said nothing and dropped his head back down as the taller man stood up and opened the bathroom vanity mirror, grasping the new bottle of mouth wash Gracia had bought him a few days prior. Happy with the find, he closed the mirror and sat back down, pouring some of the minty liquid in the cap and holding out. It was graciously accepted and in a few moments, the toilet flushed and Mustang was trying to stand up. "Wait a minute, after all that you can't get up on your own."

"Y-yes I can." Roy protested, holding the bathroom counter as his knees shook a bit. Hughes pulled him up the rest of the way and slung an arm around Mustang's small waist in order to keep him up.

"I think you'd better lay down." Maes suggested moving the two of them forward and towards his room. The hallway was not nearly as decorated as the living room and dining room were; which shocked Roy, he had to admit. He was, however, grateful that his eyes got a rest from the nauseating colors and just allowed himself be pulled along by Hughes to the bed room. The door pushed open with ease to reveal a dark room with various decorations hung periodically in the room. The last few feet seemed to be the worst as Hughes managed to push Mustang into the bed, leaving him only for a moment to retrieve new wet rags. He placed one on his forehead and put the other in a bowl of water on the nightstand for if Roy needed it.

"This is definitely not how I wanted to spend Christmas. Sick… Not in my own bed—" The alchemist huffed while looking up at the ceiling at where garland and mistletoe hung tastefully over the bed. "—And the only person that I get stuck under the mistletoe with is you." Hughes looked confused until the sick man pointed up with a tired finger. Adjusting his glasses only slightly, Maes looked up to see that there was indeed mistletoe above them which caused a smile to blossom on his face.

"Well, it's not all that bad."

"…No, I'm pretty sure it is." Roy smirked slightly. There was a bit of a silence between them as Hughes leaned down and kissed Mustang on the lips lightly and sweetly. When he pulled back, the Flame alchemist had a look of mortification on his face which made the other grin wider. The taste of mint lingered on his lips as he sat on the edge of the bed, a devious smile lighting up the dark room as Roy touched his fingers to his own lips.

"M-Maes…" He mumbled out quietly. Hughes looked at Mustang without a hint of regret in his eyes which surprised Roy more than anything. It seemed like a few minutes had passed before the Colonel slowly took a fist full of the front of Hughes' shirt and pulled him down on top of him and back onto his own lips. He flung his arms around the larger man's shoulders as the cold rag that hung on his forehead slid to the floor with a dull 'plop.' Maes' hands were tangled within his raven hair for several minutes before one made its way down to start to unbutton the first few buttons of Roy's shirt. The alchemist pulled back suddenly, completely out of breath, and stared back at the man above him whose glasses were now shifted at an awkward angle on his nose. "Maes, wait, we can't."

"Gracia won't be back until tomorrow…" Hughes responded irresponsibly while pushing his lips back to Mustang's. Roy put his palm up to intercept the kiss and turned his head, leaving a very puzzled and slightly annoyed Hughes. "Roy, I promise she won't be back. She's had these plans for wee-"

"Maes, I'm going to throw up. Get off of me." No sooner had Mustang uttered these words, Maes found himself on the floor rubbing his head as the Colonel stumbled out of the door to the bathroom.


	8. Desert Before Dinner

**A/N: **_So, it's been a while! Hello everyone. So this is a little more "to the chase" if you will haha. Please continue your wonderful support, it really makes me smile. It's been a rough two weeks for me, so I apologize for the wait._

**Desert Before Dinner.**

Sweet smells of home cooking filled the small area of living space into every nook and cranny it could find. Mustang didn't really have the opportunity to cook that often so when he did, he went all out. He stirred a pot on the stove with a stoic expression, taking in the deep aroma that lifted from the contents inside. The spoon stopped in his hand as a pair of strong arms snaked around his small waist and a head rested heavily on his left shoulder.

"You still have a few more hours until dinner." Roy said plainly to the man who was now encircling him.

"You've been cooking all day!" Hughes whined into his rather bony shoulder with a groan.

"A watched pot never boils, you know the saying." Attempting to get the larger man off him, he shrugged his shoulder. "Go eat something. Dinner will be ready later."

"Well, I don't want to spoil my appetite, maybe I'll just settle for you." Hughes said heavily before giving the Colonel's neck a light kiss. At this point, Mustang pulled away from him in annoyance.

"There'll be nothing to spoil if you don't cut that crap, Hughes." Sighing and untwisting his arms from the other's middle, the taller of the two men pouted.

"You're no fun…"

"Damn straight." He said with a satisfied tone as he tapped the wooden spoon against the side of the pot and turned around with satisfaction. A plain white apron covered the front of him, several stains from uses past brought a splash of color to the fabric with patches of different reds, most likely due to wine spills or sauce.

"Too bad this thing isn't pink; it'd go perfect with your little house wife persona." The Lieutenant Colonel smirked while the other glared and crossed his arms over his chest. "Out of things to make yourself look busy yet?"

"Will you just shut up?" Roy spat. Taking it as a definite yes, Maes opened his arms, earning an eye roll from the other man as he was pushed against Hughes' larger chest. Not expecting anything else to transpire, Roy's eyes opened wide as he felt a small tug on the back of his apron and the strings fell silently to his sides. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What do you think? After all these years, I would think you'd catch onto my advances by now, Colonel." The title held nothing but pure lust as the apron string around Roy's neck was lifted and the garment fell to the floor in a pool of material around their feet. The smaller man chuckled lightly while closing his eyes momentarily.

"And I think that you, after all these years, would catch on that I don't allow desert before dinner." The alchemist leaned up and gave the lightest shadow of a peck onto Maes' lips before turning back to the stove and picking up his spoon.


	9. When it Rains

**A/N: **_Falling asleep, this idea popped into my head. It's just been a matter of getting it down on computer (virtual) paper, hah. I hope you enjoy._

_A Friend in Words,  
--KB_

When it Rains.

It was a dreary day, the sun was hidden behind a thick blanket of bleak grey as a cool breeze weaved its way through the air like a swan on still water. Charcoal colored eyes blinked at the sky before returning their gaze on the slowly rippling water, the owner exhaling sharply while pulling his coat over him as protection to the wind.

"It looks like it's going to rain." Another man said, seeming to read the dark-eyed man's mind. They sat rather closely to each other on a loosely secured dock; it swayed back and forth gently with the gradually growing waves that rolled off the center of the pond.

"It's not really that big of a deal," Roy shrugged his shoulders up before letting them drop. "Isn't there a saying that 'a little rain never hurt anybody?'"

"True, but if there's some lightning involved I don't think I want to be sitting on a lake." Hughes winked at the smaller man who continued to look ahead at the water. A few drops from the sky caused a disturbance in Mustang's reflection as the world seemed to get silent all at once. The few pitter-patters on the dock were only amplified by the pouring of the rain on the water's surface of the lake; and before the two were even able to stand up, they were already soaked through. "What do you say we start to head back?" The Lieutenant Colonel suggested. Roy merely watched lazily as the other man's distorted form got longer in the shattered mirror surface, his red shirt the only thing recognizable in the murky water.

Shaking his head, Mustang stood up with his face to the sky and slicked his hair back with the rain. "I'm fine." Hughes sighed and wiped his glasses off, only to have his view obstructed by the water droplets in mere seconds after that. Before he could reach up to wipe them off again, a small, soft hand grabbed his larger one and was pulling him along the dock at a fast pace.

"What are you doing, Roy?" His voice was bouncing with each view-obstructed step as the dock beneath them swayed more violently with the now rapidly forming waves.

"Just run!" He called out from over his shoulder. After a few more moments of running, the two turned and reached the end of the dock where they stood and looked out at the entirety of the lake, where the entire scene was laid out in front of them in a beautiful display. The trees bent with the howling winds and the flowers on the banks dipped dangerously close to the rising water. The drops continued to pour in buckets as a sudden jolt of the dock forced Mustang forward towards the choppy water. Losing his footing, a loud curse escaped his lips as he was tossed into the lake, being pushed under by the violent waves almost instantaneously.

"Shit, Roy!" Hughes yelled as the smaller man struggled to keep himself above the surface. Diving in head first, Hughes swam the short distance in the challenging waters to grab Roy and turn back. It took him a few tries to get the hang of kicking and paddling with one arm but he managed to make it back to the dock where he pushed the Colonel onto the edge gently before pulling himself up. He was truly amazed just how heavy wet clothes could be on one's form as they plopped to the surface around him like wet newspaper. Completely out of breath and gasping for breath, Hughes cupped a hand to Roy's face. "Roy? Roy, are you okay?"

The smaller man's form wracked with a few coughs that soon subsided to mere deep breaths before he started to sit up and hold his head.

"Well, that's never happened." Mustang said averting his eyes from the other's concerned green gaze. He was embarrassed for being so careless with his actions. Catching onto this, Maes stood up and held out his hand to Roy, helping him up. At this point, charcoal was forced to meet green and all thoughts were silenced. For a moment, the rush of the rain was the only thing that filled the space between the two; however it began to beat with less force as the storm began to the pass the area by.

The two stood, water dripping from wet bangs down their cheeks to their chins, still and silent for the longest time. Very slowly, Roy reached up and pulled off the metal rimmed glasses, holding them with the utmost care, earning a smile from the taller man.

"Well, I can see much better now." He smirked while Roy stood on tip-toe, closing the distance between them. "Too bad I'll have to close my eyes now…" He trailed off as the smaller man's lips pressed against his. The rain clouds pushed away, leaving only a few drops to drip from the sky…

It all was silent and everything was still.


	10. Little Secret

**A/N: **_I apologize for the wait, college has me busier than anything and I'm not even there yet! Well, the show much go on… Thank you all for your continued support over these months, it means everything. :)_

**Little Secret.**

God, that thing was an eye sore. Mustang felt himself sigh once again as his eyes rolled a bit at the grinning bespectacled man who sat across from him at the restaurant they currently resided at. Every single time the two went to a fancy restaurant, Hughes not only wore that terrible and bright red tie; he _insisted_ on wearing it and refused to ever pick a different one. Whenever there was a speck of objection uttered about it from the grumbling Colonel, Maes would merely laugh and state: "You'd think it was stupid if I told you why I always wear this."

Mustang would have found this habit of his best friend's more amusing if that wasn't the tie that he wore to get married to Gracia.

After taking another sip out of his water glass, Roy discovered that he was out of the liquid that kept him preoccupied and nearly slammed the glass down in frustration.

"Why are they always so slow at this place?" The irritated alchemist spat across the table as if his dinner partner was the cause of it.

"Well, it is a holiday weekend, a lot of people are out!" Hughes merely smiled back widely with his chin resting on his hands that were laced together at the fingers. The shorter man smirked a bit.

'His hands are covering that tie of his. Good; now I don't have to have a staring match with it." He mused a bit as one of the waiters stopped by the table and set down the duos' drinks and refilled Mustang's water glass before leaving promptly. Roy merely pushed the glass of clear liquid to the side of the table and grabbed his alcohol, taking a deep drink out of the glass and placing it back down, feeling much better than he had before. Hughes only shook his head and began speaking again.

"Roy, I think you have a drinking problem," He laughed.

"And I think you have a problem with change. However, you don't see me complaining." Roy said back slyly with his glass back at his lips.

"Now, why would you say that?" The Lieutenant Colonel asked simply while his right foot moved under the table to gently brush against the other's leg. Roy didn't appreciate the contact and crawled further back into his seat.

"B-because," Mustang cleared his throat. "You always bring me to the same exact restaurant, order the same exact thing, and wear that… That thing." He glared at the object around Hughes' neck as if it would spontaneously combust just from his stare. It was now that he wished he had his gloves in his pocket.

"Oh come on, you can't still be complaining about my tie!" Maes laughed rather loudly, earning a few stares.

"It's annoying." Roy stated simply, looking away from the elder couple that stared from the table next to them. After a few more beats of impatience from his fingers, he sighed for the umpteenth time that night. "…Almost as annoying as this restaurant is for keeping us waiting this long." Hughes merely nodded and began to push himself up out of his chair. Roy's face instantly changed to a state of less irritation as he got up as well and lead the way to the front door. The two stepped out into the nippy night air as Mustang shivered a bit as the temperature crawled down his spine. He hid it by pulling his jacket to him and looking up at the blackened night sky. The two began walking down the street towards town in silence until the taller inhaled.

"I guess we'll have to find another place to eat tonight," Maes said lowly, being answered only by silence. "…So, do you really find this tie that annoying?"

"Yes. I've been in your house and I've seen you wear other ties out to other places, but when it's you and me, I can always count on you wearing that damned thing." His voices quieted a bit. "I don't think it's proper to wear a tie that you got married in when taking me out." Hughes' eyes traveled to the black haired man who looked straight ahead when stating what had been bothering him and suddenly was filled with the heavy feeling of guilt.

"…I wore it before than too, though."

"Doesn't make it okay." Roy shrugged. Before he could blink, Hughes had grabbed him by the shoulders and nearly threw him against the cold stone wall that they had been walking beside, and had him pinned into a rough kiss that nearly stole his breath away. Before he had time to react, the taller had pulled back, but kept his position of having an arm on either side of the confused Colonel.

"Are you really that curious about why I wear this?" Hughes asked in a whisper before Roy nodded breathlessly, a slight pink tint on his cheeks. "I was wearing this tie the first time I spoke to you. And I was wearing it the first time I kissed you," illustrating his point, Maes pecked Roy on the lips. "…The first time that you took me into your place after a dinner." The words lingered between them as if Hughes was still talking and Roy reached forward to touch the silky red material. He ran it through his slender fingers a few times before one of Hughes' larger hands reached down to cover his lightly.

Roy only looked up with an even deeper blush on his cheeks at the brightly smiling man and gave the tie a good yank, pulling Hughes' lips back to his. He kept a strong grip on the material, afraid that if he didn't hold onto something; he was going to lose his grip on reality all together. Hughes pulled back again, leaning his forehead delicately on Roy's.

"I wore it on my wedding day to remind myself what I was losing… Have I lost it?" He said in a thick voice. The Colonel remained silent before pushing ahead of him. Hughes chuckled to himself quietly, "I sure hope not."


End file.
